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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-22230

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many freight sailings there were on routes from Aberdeen on the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract with Serco NorthLink, from January 2019 to date, broken down by month.

Freight Sailings from Aberdeen

	Jan-19	Feb-19	Mar-19	Apr-19	May-19	Jun-19	Jul-19	Aug-19	Sep-19	Oct-19	Nov-19	Dec-19
Aberdeen - Lerwick	13	18	18	14	14	13	13	14	11	14	12	8
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	5	4	4	4	5	7	9	9	7	8	9	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	2	4	5	5	4	5	4	4	13	7	4	6

	Jan-20	Feb-20	Mar-20	Apr-20	May-20	Jun-20	Jul-20	Aug-20	Sep-20	Oct-20	Nov-20	Dec-20
Aberdeen - Lerwick	10	11	15	17	18	15	18	14	13	13	11	9
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	3	3	3	1	0	3	5	7	9	9	7	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	4	4	7	8	9	5	4	5	11	6	6	6

	Jan-21	Feb-21	Mar-21	Apr-21	May-21	Jun-21	Jul-21	Aug-21	Sep-21	Oct-21	Nov-21	Dec-21
Aberdeen - Lerwick	6	8	22	11	13	12	19	14	13	13	10	12
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	4	3	5	5	4	9	4	7	8	8	8	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	4	4	4	3	4	3	4	5	12	8	4	5

	Jan-22	Feb-22	Mar-22	Apr-22	May-22	Jun-22	Jul-22	Aug-22	Sep-22	Oct-22	Nov-22	Dec-22
Aberdeen - Lerwick	12	10	16	15	13	14	13	13	13	13	10	12
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	4	4	6	7	6	10	9	9	7	8	7	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	4	6	4	4	5	3	5	4	12	10	5	3

	Jan-23	Feb-23	Mar-23	Apr-23	May-23	Jun-23	Jul-23	Aug-23	Sep-23
Aberdeen - Lerwick	12	15	19	13	13	13	15	13	13
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	7	6	7	8	9	9	10	10	9
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	5	5	4	5	9	8	6	4	12

Question reference: S6W-22228

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the (a) crewing levels and (b) frequency of ferry services between the mainland and the Orkney Islands.

A transport appraisal of passenger and freight ferry services between the Northern Isles and the Scottish mainland, in line with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG), was undertaken in 2016-2017 to inform the specification of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract awarded in 2020. The study report is published here:

final-report-appraisal-of-options-for-specification-of-2018-northern-isles-ferry-services-april-2018.pdf (transport.gov.scot)

Crewing is a matter for the ferry operators.

Question reference: S6W-22023

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment to "develop plans to deliver free breakfast to all primary and special school children", in light of this commitment not being included in its Programme for Government 2023-24.

The Scottish Government remains committed to developing plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children.

The First Minister announced in this year’s Programme for Government that the Scottish Government remains focused on tackling child poverty in Scotland. We know that food provision is an important part of the mission to tackle child poverty, and that is why there is a range of support already in place for families.

Question reference: S6W-22024

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether universal school breakfast provision is a means of building a food system that ensures the right to food for children and young people, as laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child includes the right to adequate nutritious food. Universal school breakfast provision does have the potential to give further and fuller effect to this right.

The Concluding Observations from the UK’s recent state party scrutiny by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child includes a recommendation that the UK administrations strengthen measures to address child malnutrition, food insecurity and growing trends in overweight and obesity, by expanding the free school meals programme to all children in disadvantaged situations. It is not specific about how provision could be strengthened in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-21992

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that a biodiversity code, which mirrors the woodland and peatland codes, will be (a) drafted, (b) consulted on and (c) ready for implementation.

The Scottish Government is not aware of a timetable in place for the drafting, consultation phase or implementation of a biodiversity code that could operate in Scotland. The Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code both operate at a UK-scale and the role of Scottish Government in developing a similar biodiversity code, alongside other administrations and public bodies, would have to be determined. There is a range of work underway that will help to inform the development of such a Code when appropriate including a Scottish Government CivTech project to develop a potential model for a biodiversity code, the publication of biodiversity metrics research commissioned by Scottish Government; and the UK-scale British Standard Institutes work on Nature Investment Standards.

Question reference: S6W-21714

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring forward proposals for the regulation of carbon market participation in Scotland, and what the timetable is for any such plans.

The Scottish Government currently has no plans to bring forward proposals for the regulation of carbon market participation for Scotland. It is committed to developing a values-led high integrity market for responsible investment in natural capital and will publish proposals for a Natural Capital market framework to support this commitment, and to strengthen the Interim Principles on Responsible Private Investment, in 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-21715

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether carbon credits generated in Scotland can be traded outwith the UK.

Question reference: S6W-21711

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any analysis to identify where in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland potential purchasers of Scottish carbon credits are located.

Scottish Government has not undertaken an analysis of where in the UK potential purchasers of Scottish carbon credits are located.

Voluntary carbon credits purchased from the UK’s Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code can only be used to compensate for UK-based emissions, in a UK-wide market.

Buyers who set up accounts on the Land Carbon Registry use their headquarters address when setting up their accounts, and this is checked by the Registry against the UK-wide Companies House Records. Many UK-wide companies will have a headquarters address in England, even if they operate and have emissions in Scotland. 15% of companies who have a corporate buyer account on the UK Land Carbon Registry have a registered headquarters in Scotland. The remainder are in England.

Question reference: S6W-21712

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what process will be followed in the development of the market framework for private investment, as referenced in the Programme for Government 2023-24; over what timescale it is envisaged that the framework will be developed; at what point public engagement will be invited during the development process; when it expects a formal consultation will be held on any framework proposals, and whether an economic appraisal will be undertaken of where the potential financial benefits of any private investment will flow over the whole life impact of the investment.

The Programme for Government commitment to publish proposals for a market framework will be taken forward during 2023-24. It will be developed as part of the commitment in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation to develop a values-led high integrity market for responsible investment in natural capital. It will be developed with engagement and input from a wide range of interests and be evidence-led.

Question reference: S6W-21713

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed or commissioned any independent analysis of (a) the potential future price of carbon in so far as that relates to carbon credits that may be traded from within Scotland and (b) any risks in projecting future carbon prices, and whether it will publish any such assessment or analysis.